The Real World: Ba Sing Se
by EveryGirlYouKnow
Summary: Formerly titled: "This lemonade tastes a lot like... Tokka?" Placed just a little after the end of the series, it's a lot of character-driven fluff and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

**Hey, thanks for checking out my fic; it's been a couple of years since I last wrote one. It was originally meant to be a single stand-alone lemon... but due to some really awesome reviews I've decided to re-structure the story so I can write more chapters!**

**I - like everyone on FF - love reviews, suggestions, critiques, lots and lots of compliments; even unrelated stuff!**

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"Let's stop here for the night" Upon Aang's command Appa began to descend onto a grassy field near an immensely large lake. Katara, Sokka, and Toph set up camp while Aang removed Appa's giant saddle. Toph walked out a bit to where the grass made room for a patch of dry earth still warm from the setting sun. Holding her arms out she easily erected a rock tent.

"Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight Toph" the voices of Aang, Katara and Sokka responded in unison.

Crawling on the hard ground to the back of the shelter, Toph curled up into a ball and closed her unseeing eyes. After what could've only been an hour a noise startled her enough to make her quickly sit up and bump her head. She felt a slight vibration coming from the rest of their camp. She rubbed the throbbing crown of her head and listened again. The noise came from her left, and although she was curious about its source, the cold winds of the night kept her from venturing outside. Instead, she called out a tentative, "Hello?"

"Buuurrrrr"

"Sokka?" She called back, immediately identifying him.

"S-sorry, Toph, I didn't ma-ma-mean to w-wake you up, but n-now that that's alread-dy happened, c-c-could you build me a ra-rock t-tent?" Toph could hardly understand him though the stuttering, but she caught his drift (no pun intended).

"Sorry Sokka, I'll wake up the others if I do that. I guess you'll just have to sleep next to Appa again tonight," she said with a wry smile, only half kidding. Last time Sokka was forced to sleep next to the giant air-bison he woke with half his head covered in fur, stuck there by his own drool.

Toph felt a breeze as he quickly ducked behind her and crawled inside the rock tent. "Sokka! This is MY tent! There's not enough room in here for both of u- Wait, is that a sleeping bag you brought?"

"Why yes, Toph, this was my secret backup plan, because I am the 'Plan Guy', so I'm always prepared". She felt him rearrange himself on the right side of the tent, leaving her only a few inches. She snuggled in anyway; not afraid to challenge him to a battle of endurance. Eventually one of them was going to get too uncomfortable and sleep outside.

This went for a couple hours. Toph had become sore from the cold, hard rock pressing down on her back. Her face was pressed into Sokka's chest, and to her dismay it was actually very comfortable. Sokka was snoring lightly, and Toph knew he was asleep. She slowly removed her arms from her sides and wrapped them around his neck, and pressed her body into his. Snuggling her face back into his chest she wrapped her legs around his waist, soaking in his body heat. Finally, Toph fell asleep.

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**Authors Note: I know all the fans hated the movie, but I thought it was decent. Books 2 & 3 have a lot of potential... provided they get a new writer and the casting director doesn't fuck up when picking an actress for Toph ;3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I've got a question for y'all. When you read fan-fics - especially lemons - do you think of the characters the way they appear in the cartoon or what they'd look like in real life (ie the live-action movie version)?**

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At dawn Sokka rolled over onto his side, only to be startled awake by a roaring Toph that had found her way underneath him.

"Toph?" He half-whispered, not fully remembering the events that had taken place the night before.

"Geeet ooooffff" Her little kicking arms and legs beat at his back as she tried to push herself out from under him. He sat up, bumping his head on the too-short ceiling of the shelter and looked into the bloated, sleep-warped visage of his small companion. She had wrinkle marks on her cheek from where her face had been pressing into his sleeping bag all night, and her eyes were still half shut, the light green iris' glinting out from under heavy lids.

"Good morning, Sokka" she said, punching his arm as she untangled her legs from around his waist. She wiggled her toes, pushed the big blob of hair to the back of her head and shook her bangs out. "Ahhhh, my neck. I think I kinked something last night."

Sokka chuckled quietly, still not wanting to wake up the rest of The Gaang. "Well, if you had only made me a-" He was stopped short by yet another punch to the arm, this one harder than the first, but the expression on her face was comical. Sokka laughed and pinched her fat cheeks, making her have a fishy face. "Ooooh, Tophy is a wittle aaangr-" Suddenly the earth gave way underneath him, and he found himself trapped in a dirt prison a few feet underground. "TOPH! I'M SORRY! LET ME OUT, PLEEEAASE".

Toph let out a loud giggle: now that it was morning she could earth-bend all she wanted.

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After a long day of work The Gaang settled back into camp. That afternoon they had gone shopping in a nearby settlement for some warmer gear. Everyone sat on their new sleeping bags around a bonfire that Aang had made, sipping some of Uncle Iroh's tea that had been given to them upon their departure of the Fire Kingdom. The cold winds blew through the camp, making even Appa shiver.

"Guys, I think we need a new plan," said Katara, "I know we wanted to continue our adventures, but these prairie settlements are cold. Unlike the villages of the water tribes, this place is so windy!" Aang shivered in agreement, almost spilling his tea.

"Aawww, cold-shmold - it's not so bad! I was really enjoying it here."

"Well, Toph," Sokka responded in his sassiest voice, "if we all had the ability to create stone shelters like you then maybe all of us would be in agreement. And," he added, "I think there's a chance of snow."

"How's about I make everyone rock tents?" she responded. Aang looked at Katara, not wanting to bring up the fact that they had been sleeping next to - and occasionally, with - each other since the defeat of the Fire Nation. If they wanted to continue then they'd have to request a separate tent. Katara didn't yet know how Sokka would feel about that, not to mention the incessant teasing that they'd be subject to from Toph.

"It's pretty cold... Maybe we could all sleep under one roof tonight. What do you think about making one giant rock shelter?" Aang said, seeing Katara's crestfallen expression.

"I don't know about giant," Toph said, "but I could make a big one if we all were okay with smooshing together."

"That sounds great!" Aang half shouted, jumping at the idea of a night so close to Katara. "While you do that Katara and I will go into the village, I have a few more errands I need to run."

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Later, after Toph had made a makeshift stable for Appa, she raised the rocky earth into the shape of a tent with a hole in the top to release smoke from the fire. While normally this wouldn't be a hard task, the dry, cold air wasn't forgiving and soon she was tired. She went inside to create a space for a fire pit. While doing this she heard somebody enter. She could tell who it was by the musky scent carried in by the wind.

"Hey, Sokka," She said, walking over to him, "I thought you were down by the lake attempting to get us some dinner." She felt him walk around her and turned in his direction.

"I was, but it turns out sizable fish don't really live in freshwater lakes this close to the shore, especially this time of year". She heard him shuffling around atop the sleeping bag he had just set down to the immediate right of the fire pit.

"Sokka! You put your sleeping-bag closest to the fire!" She was not about to let him force her into another uncomfortable night. She crawled across the remaining sleeping bags until she felt the soft, dusty raccoon-lambskin of the one she just bought in the village. She dragged it over and plopped it right on top of Sokka's, and laid down. She giggled as she heard him stride over. Just as quickly as she had sat down, Sokka toppled her off the bag as he pulled it from under her. "Hey! What's the big idea?" She jumped up, still laughing, and flung a rock at him.

"Oow!" A rush of wind and then another disorienting tilt as she felt herself get picked up and thrown over Sokka's shoulder. He ran quickly as if her weight was nothing to him. Her shouts were almost drowned out by his laughter.

"Where are you taaaking me-e-ee-ee?" She wailed, flailing her arms out. She frantically tried to get a grip on which direction the ground was. Just as Sokka flung her into the air she pulled up a chunk of dirt, and heard him grunt as he tripped.

Then she hit the water, the rush of liquid was equally cold and terrifying. She screamed again, but this time she wasn't having fun. "Sokka! Sokka! Help! Plea-" her head went under, and she hit something in the freezing blackness. She grabbed on, and started climbing in the way that she thought was up. Toph's head suddenly broke the surface, and she gasped deeply. The Something that she had grabbed onto in the water was warm and smelled like Sokka. Knowing she was safe, she burst into tears. She buried her head in his armpit and held on tight, worried that she might slip back into the black chill of the lake.

"Toph, Toph, It'll be okay, shhh. I forgot that you don't know how to swim. I thought I had a handle on the situation until I tripped. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He carried her small shivering figure back to the tent and ducked inside. Gently setting her down on her sleeping bag, he noticed that she was no longer crying, but was shivering violently. Her clothes were soaked, her nose pink, her fingers blue, and her hair in a wet mop on top of her head.

"Here, you can borrow my extra coat, it's made of rabbit-deer skin." He dug in his backpack until he found it, and held it out to her.

She stood up and stumbled toward him, grabbing the jacket. "I'll just," Sokka stuttered, "Be out here."

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**Authors Note: I don't know if y'all caught my drift, but this story takes place in the Avatar-equivalent of Chicago... flat prairieland, freezing winds, a giant lake without a lot of fish near the shore, etc. I love Chicago... :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: OMG, you guys! I was looking for pictures of Jackson Rathbone (the guy who plays Sokka in the movie), and you'll never guess what I found: A PICTURE OF HIM WITH A WARRIOR WOLF-TAIL! It was taken pre-Airbender - during his Twilight Saga days (don't hate, y'all) - but he was totally *destined* to be Sokka, amirite? I think it looks seeeexy :3**

**/sokkahair**

Sokka walked out of the tent, shivering from his own wet clothes. He leaned against the edge of the stone wall, thinking. Although Toph was sometimes pig-headed and combative, it was times like these that he remembered that she was still fragile. He had grown really attached to her; what had started as a platonic friendship had turned into something more. As for Suki - she had only stayed a short time with The Gaang after Sozin's Comet. The Kyoshi Warriors had quickly set out to help those who had been displaced during the war effort. Sokka had missed her terribly at first, but it was the words of his sister that changed his outlook.

"She's a fighter," Katara had said, "not a lover. Suki was so happy to leave; you should have seen her on the day of her departure. She could hardly keep her hands steady as she put on her makeup. It was the first time in months, and she was _so proud_. If you love her, let her go. The world needs her more than we ever could."

Sokka snapped out of his reverie. He turned his head, sneakily glancing inside. Toph had wasted no time stripping off her wet clothing. She was using her fire nation tunic as a towel; the dark red fabric contrasted with her pale skin. Before Sokka could look away the tunic slid off her thin frame, exposing her muscular legs, back and butt. Sokka continued watching, his perverted teenage mind transfixed. It had been weeks since he had seen a naked girl and he was surprised how similar they all looked. Granted, Toph was a small, pale caricature of his ex-girlfriend, but he couldn't deny that she was blooming into a young lady.

Toph used the shirt to dry her long black hair, and then carelessly she tossed it on the ground. She leaned down and picked up the blue fur coat, her muscles tensing as she scooped it into her hands. She was turned now, and he could see her profile. Her breasts were small, two tiny half-apples paler than the rest of her body. Her pink nipples stood erect. She pulled on a pair of fire nation panties, and then climbed into the coat. It went almost to her knees and she had to push back the sleeves to get her tiny hands to pop out of the ends. Sokka had stopped shivering although his clothes had frozen stiff. He felt a warm blush rise to his cheeks, and before he could get out of middle of the doorway Toph was standing before him, her long, wet hair fanned out on the hood.

"You were watching me, weren't you?" She accused. Her eyes, even in their blindness, seemed to penetrate deep into his.

"No," he squeaked.

"I can tell when people lie, Sokka, and your heart rate is through the roof. I heard it speed up while-"

He pushed past her, ignoring her comment. He picked up the wet clothes and set them out to dry in the corner. Toph was busy rearranging the sleeping bags so that hers was closest to the fire pit, and this time he didn't complain.

Sokka searched his rucksack for a new set of clothes, and pulled out a shirt that he had bought during their stay in the Earth Kingdom. He peeled off his wet clothing; turning away from Toph even though she couldn't see him. He pulled on the shirt and, with no alternative, grabbed a spare pair of boxers in lieu of other pants.

He sat down next to Toph and started to light a fire. Only a few small sticks were aflame when she grabbed his hand. "Wait," She said, "I want to ask you something first". He set down the flint and turned toward her. She looked at her lap, her fingers lightly traveling over the fur, cataloging each centimeter.

"What?" Sokka breathed, instinctively moving closer.

"You were... watching me?" She said, looking up.

"I, uh," he stuttered, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's... fine," Her fingers stopped moving, and again she placed her hand atop his. "I'm flattered. I was away from boys during my childhood, and most of the ones we meet while traveling are into Katara. I've been jealous, but then... there was you." She leaned even closer, "You're my best friend, Sokka, and... I just.. want..." She planted a kiss on his lips, "This." She closer her eyes, and leaned in again. Her breath was warm against his face.

"Toph," he said and took her shoulders, "Katara would kill me if she ever found out. You're so youn-" this was broken off by another kiss from Toph. He pushed her away and, turning back to the fire, concentrated on nurturing the small flame that had risen.

"Please..." She paused a few seconds too long, "Didn't you like what you saw?"

Sokka hesitated; his whole body suddenly engulfed in shivers.

Toph felt the pressure of his lips against hers. He broke away, and Toph pulled in a deep, ragged breath. She reached her hand up and felt his cheek. She ran her thumb across his lips and guided herself forward again. He laid his hand on her waist then slid it down to her lower back. Sokka pulled her forward. Her mouth opened slightly and he slid his tongue in to meet hers. She placed a hand on his chest, pushing him down. She leaned over him, the coat sliding up. Her back arched, she swung a leg over, straddling him. Sokka ran his hand over her thigh, and she let out an excited breath. The kisses became more heated and frequent. Toph crushed her chest against his, her butt sticking up in the air. His other hand slipped under the coat, finding its way up to her stomach. He was getting ahead of himself. Toph inhaled quickly, and Sokka slid his hand back down to her hips. With his other hand he moved her inky black hair off her neck and planted kisses down it, until he reached her delicate collarbones. He was sitting up now, taking more control as his ethics were becoming distant memory.

Toph's hands had fallen to her sides as she let him explore her young body. The light tingles she had felt before today were nothing like the feelings she was currently having. Pulses of heat were shimmering up her torso. She slid her cold hand up his thigh; her movements just guesswork. Toph could feel the lean muscles under his skin, and wondered what the rest of his body felt like. She let her naivety fall to the wayside; raw instinct took over. She moaned as he bit the thin skin of her neck. Grabbing onto the collar of his shirt she pulled his face to hers. The kiss was broken by a wry smile from Sokka. Her miniature hands had traveled back down his chest, and she felt equal parts guilty and turned-on by her own perverse boldness. Even once her fingers had found the edge of his boxers she let them slide further. She placed them on his crotch he let out a low groan. He struggled to hold his sanity in one piece, the animal within him was ready to grab her elfin figure and pin it under his. He looked at her face; she was biting her lower lip as she explored his lap. To ease her confusion Sokka guided her hand to the base of his member. She squeezed it gently though the thin cloth of his underwear, and suddenly pulled them down. Sokka tensed, and she took that as a sign of pleasure. She pumped slowly, lightly holding the tip with her other hand.

He was breathless, Toph's amateur technique was better than he expected. He was hard now, and needed a break if he was to prevent himself from...

Sokka removed Toph's hands from his crotch, and helped her out of the big coat. He pushed her down on her back, stripped off his own shirt and finished pulling his boxers off. Crawling on top of her, Sokka kissed her while his hands slid up her thighs. They reached their destination, and his fingers traced a pattern on the crotch of her lava colored lace panties.

"Mmm... Where'd you get these?" He said, breaking their kiss. "They're awfully provocative..."

"Ka-Katara took me shopping," She said, gasping as he bit her ear.

Her legs were now around his waist. Sokka slid his hand up her belly to her breasts. He flicked her right nipple and then lightly pinched it so it turned a rosy color. Sokka lowered his head to her chest and sucked it, rolling it around his tongue. Her breathing had quickened, her naked legs squeezed his naked hips as she grew more and more impatient. Finally Toph felt the tip of his nose travel down past her navel, and she whimpered.

Sokka slowly slid her underwear off, sling-shotting it against the stone wall of the tent, and spread her legs.

He looked down, his eyes taking in every centimeter of her nubile young body. Only the pink slit between her legs interrupted the expanse of white skin. His pause had caused a crop of goosebumps to emerge, and her hands reached out blindly for him.

Without warning he began to rub her clit; she gasped in response, then arched her back and leaned into it. He slipped a digit into her gash, kneading the sides and letting her juice flow over his hand. He slid his forefinger even deeper.

As Sokka's massage became quicker and more forceful Toph tried to catch her breath. Failing, she dug her short fingernails into his arm.

"Sokka... Aaah.., It's too much, I'm gonna..."

He slowed. As he pulled out his finger she whimpered.

"You really know how to turn on a guy," Sokka breathed in her ear. By now his cock was as hard as stone... and Toph was the best Earthbender out there. She leaned down until she felt the tip of his boner against her cheek. Guiding it into her lips Toph teased his member on her mouth as she bobbed it up and down.

"More..." begged Sokka, "Please" He held her long hair out of the way as she kissed his dick with her tiny mouth. She twirled her tongue around the tip of his erection, making her gag and dribble saliva down the shaft. With her hands she fondled the base of his cock, her small fingers easily sliding the length with this new form of lubrication.

Toph stopped, and held onto the tip, tilting her head so he could see her face. "Look at me," She said.

"I am," And to prove it Sokka pulled her to him, so that she was straddling his vigorous young body, and they were face to face. Her light green eyes shone from the fire, which now burning strongly. It had quickly grown dark outside, and the door to the shelter split light out into the night.

Noticing this, Toph said "Katara and Aang should have been here awhile ago..."

"Well... maybe something held them up. It's started to snow a little, they're probably at an inn."

"Let's hope so" And with that Toph raised another rock to create a door, locking them into their own little cave. Firelight bounced off the walls, bathing their sweating bodies in a warm orange light. Toph's face was flushed; she bit her lip and pressed her chest to his. She felt intoxicated, and was becoming well aware of his erection against her stomach. She moved to straddle just one of his legs, sliding her hips up and down. She let his hands wander across her body as she did this. The inherent naughtiness in the action made her even wetter.

Sokka laid her down and gently pushed her knees apart as he positioned himself.

"Toph," He said in a low voice, "this might hurt."

She steeled herself, then nodded. She held his member to her slit and with a deep breath she let it slide inside her. The pain in her small pelvis was immense, and more so in the blackness of her small world.

Sokka was reluctant to leave the warmth of her wet opening, but slowly slid out as she held onto him tightly. His powerful teenage body begged for more. He stroked the skin on her shoulder.

"Please, Sokka," She said feverishly, "don't stop."

He nodded, then realizing that she couldn't see him, said "Okay," and once again slowly inserted his member inside her. This time she rewarded him with a long moan, her tight snatch stretching to accommodate his rigid dick. His slow thrusts picked up speed; Toph pressed her pussy even harder to the base of Sokka's shaft. They moved in tandem: him violently thrusting into her and her gratifying him with her moans. The sounds echoed off the walls; the room had become a sauna.

Sokka paused, then began moving in and out slowly, hitting the sensitive spots inside her. Toph became restless: she had been on the brink of ecstasy when he had stopped.

"Sokka," She wailed, "Please..." Her hips writhed against his, but he slowed even further. "Stop teasing me!" Sokka rubbed his thumb across her lips and she bit down on his finger. The mixture of dirt and sweat from his hand only turned her on further.

"I know you want me to go faster," He said between slow thrusts "I know you do."

"I do."

"Then I want you to tell me..."

"Anything... please..."

"Say 'Sokka is the best warrior of all the nations!'"

Toph shook her head. He went even slower, hitting all her sweet spots. She wouldn't be forced to say that, it would be both humiliating and out-of-character. The pressure was rising, and her appetite needed to be satiated. He couldn't make her. But... she was out of her mind with arousal.

"Okay, Okay, I'll say it!" She cried, "Please, just go faster." She raised her chin and curved her spine to receive his thrusts.

Sokka smiled. "Say it!" He could feel her tightening; her legs were fiercely clamped around his waist.

"Sokka," She started, "Is the best... warrior... in all the nations of the earth..." Her body was dripping with sweat; she was on the verge of euphoria.

"That's my girl," He said, and began to force his member into her, more aggressive now, and deeper. His pelvic muscles had begun to tighten. She gripped onto him. His cock hit her core. And again.

"It's... too... much..." She wailed, "Ah.. Aaaaah!" Both of them were caught up in the rapture of the moment. Her whole body contracted wildly, spasms shooting up from her cunt as he held her. The end of his boner erupted in a spray of warm white liquid all over Toph's stomach and thighs.

She collapsed onto the sleeping bag, Sokka's eyes following her as she blew out a long deep exhale. He leaned over to her, pulling her limp body into his arms. He pushed her sweaty bangs from off her forehead and kissed her.

**Author's Note: I've been getting ready for college, that's why I update so infrequently. That, and I edit all my chapters about 10 times before publishing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Just an FYI; I've edited the chapters a wee-bit (as of July 28th, 2010) And I changed the title from "This lemonade tastes a lot like... Tokka?" to "The Read World: Ba Sing Se"**

**Y'all have my permission to read (and jack-off to) it again. x3**

**Also- Comment! That's what has inspired me to keep writing!**

The first thing Toph noticed in the morning was the scent of musk. It radiated from her right side along with waves of heat and the sound of light snoring. She quietly sat up, trying not to groan from the soreness of her muscles. Feeling her surroundings, it soon became clear to her that she was atop a sleeping bag, which was muffling the earth's vibrations. She ran her fingers through her long black hair, pulling out tangles as she tried to remember the night before. To her the memories consisted of touches, textures, breaths and the words they carried. All of these were held together by the memory of his skin against hers and the smell of ash.

The fire had long since burned out and left the stone shelter cold. The exhaust hole in the ceiling was letting in a light flurry of snow and Toph felt every flake as it came to rest on her skin. She shivered and laid back down, cuddling into Sokka's chest the way she had done two nights prior. She was surprised that he radiated so much warmth, especially in his nakedness. She could feel his muscles; firm even while relaxed. It gave her a sense of pride knowing that, in a way, they belonged to her.

The first thing Sokka was aware of upon waking was his usual morning-boner. Luckily, only Toph's face and chest were resting atop him, and nothing was being noticed... or squashed. Her small body hardly moved with her light breaths, and for a second he wasn't sure she was still alive. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently rolled her onto her back. As he did this, Toph's eyes flew open and Sokka almost screamed like a little girl.

"You weren't planning on feeling me up while I was asleep, were you?" she said.

"Um um, uum"

"Because if you were... I would be very flattered." She gave him a wicked grin and he relaxed, lying back down.'

Toph sat up and kissed him on the lips. She sighed when she felt him return it; she was relieved that nothing had changed since the night before.

Sokka rolled over and quickly leaped to his feet. Toph was surprised at how limber he seemed; apparently he was used to the post-sex ache. She frowned, not liking the idea. Before she could process this thought any further she heard him groan.

"What?" said Toph; worried.

"The clothes... Katara's not here to wash them. They're all dirty." This time Toph was the one to groan.

"We could try washing them ourselves?" She phrased it like a question. "Do you know where Katara keeps the soap?"

Sokka fumbled through Katara's bag, finding a lot more sexy underwear than he was comfortable with, but eventually found a light pink bar.

"It smells like babies," said Toph, who had wandered over to him while scooping up clothes. She grabbed the soap, kicked a hole in the wall with her foot and began walking toward the edge of the lake. He rushed out to meet her, only slightly embarrassed of his nudity in this almost abandoned prairie.

They waded into the water, Sokka yelping because of the icy temperature. They passed the soap back and forth, Toph trying her best to scrub out the dirt she couldn't see.

"Jeez, how far out were we yesterday? It doesn't seem so deep now... did the tide change?"

"As a matter of fact it did: the tide came in. It's much deeper now than it was last night; you were attempting to drown in knee-high water."

Toph stopped scrubbing, becoming very embarrassed very quickly.

"Hey, it wasn't so bad... for me. I got to be your heeeero." Sokka said, elongating the last word for emphasis. Toph splashed him with water and he splashed her back. Soon they had dropped what they had been rinsing and, as they frolicked in the water, the clothes slowly made their way out to sea...

**Author's Note: Do y'all like the warrior's wolf tail hairstyle in real life? Because I reeeeally do, and I don't get to see them enough :(**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I've got a good story for you, and then an explanation as to why it takes me so long to update.**

**My Literature & Film teacher senior year always had us writing in class, and he chided us about how slowly we wrote. One day he broke a chunk off a chair and threatened to hit us with it should we stop writing, even for a moment. He started the clock and in only 5 minutes more than half of us had tears running down our faces - mostly because we were laughing so hard... but it did hurt.**

**After the exercise he gave us a piece of advice that has really stuck with me. He said, "Writing is a lot like barfing. You need to get it all out of your system first, then pick through it and find the pieces that are still reusable." Gross, right?**

**I've always been a perfectionist when it comes to writing. I edit my work until it is flawless, and although this fixation is what defines me as an author, it also increases the time between updates.**

**I have about 4 chapters planned, so... I guess it's time to bring out my proverbial toothbrush and let the literary gagging begin.**

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"Good, now lie very still and breathe in through your stomach," Toph could hardly hear what Sokka was saying. Water had flooded her ears rendering her nearly deaf.

Sokka had been trying to teach her how to float almost all morning, but the tiny earthbender sunk like a rock. "The key is to relax... try and keep your legs on the surface." His voice was so distant and she was having trouble concentrating. The feeling of warm sun on her stomach and his strong hands on her back and legs were too much. She felt them slide away and, just like before, her feet pulled her to the ground.

"Jeez, you're like a magnet..."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I don't think earthbenders are supposed to float, anyway. It's just not natural." She adjusted her long Fire Nation vest, which she had tied around herself as a makeshift bra. "Could you retie this? It's slipping". She felt his warm hands on her back, pulling the red and yellow fabric taught.

"I will," He said, leaning down so his nose tickled her neck, "but I won't like it." He bit her earlobe, making her squeal.

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Toph stood at the edge of the water, waiting for Sokka to finish gathering the clothes. She dug her toes into the sand, delighting in its grittiness. Her hair had already dried in a tangled mass on her shoulders, and no amount of finger-combing could help it now. She yawned deeply, raising her arms above her head in a cat-like stretch.

Halfway through her yawn she heard him splash over and before she could open her arms Sokka yelled, "Think fast!" and a heavy pile of damp clothes were dumped on her head. "Ya snooze, ya loose! I'm going to pack up camp- fold those!"

He chortled all the way back to the shelter... which inexplicably collapsed once he was inside.

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"Do you hear that?" Said Toph, looking up from the pile that she was almost finished sorting.

"Hear what?"

"It sounds like... like an old friend of ours is coming to visit."

"Iroh?"

"No, not Iroh," She said, rolling her green eyes, "Hawky!"

"What! We haven't seen him since he left for Gaoling with your letter!" Sokka looked up into the bright midday sky just as the scarlet colored hawk burst through the clouds, diving directly at them. He banked at the last second, landing gently on Sokka's forearm. "Buddy! What brings you to-" Sokka paused, "Toph, do you know where we are?"

"We're just a couple hours west from the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Does he have a letter from my parents?" A look of excitement crept onto her face.

"He does have a letter," Sokka unfastened the tube from the hawk's Fire Nation regalia, "But it appears as if it's from... Katara?"

"What a letdown," Toph grumbled, "I thought maybe my parents sent one from our summer home."

Sokka was too busy tearing open the wrapping to comment, so as Toph waited for the news she stroked the hawk which had hopped over to her. "_Well?_" She said impatiently, "What does it say?"

"Apparently she and Aang are in the artisan district of Ba Sing Se. They want us to... meet them? That's not-"

"Possible." She finished his sentence. "They have Appa."

"The letter only tells us where to meet them, not how to get there. Are we just supposed to walk?" His expression was comprised of equal parts confusion and growing frustration at his younger sister.

"Nah, I've got a plan," The young earthbender said as her signature grin flashed onto her face.

* * *

"You remember when I taught Aang earthbending, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I want you to stand just like that. Legs a little more than shoulder width apart, knees bent, arms out in front of you. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Plant yourself as firmly as you can into the ground, try not to move," She paused, "and stop calling me ma'am."

Sokka nodded. The little bender looked positively frightening with her knotted hair and resolute look. He figured she could look worse; all their bags had been strapped to her, making her look like a disgruntled turtle. Although they weighed almost as much as she did, Toph hardly wavered as she walked around to his back.

"Now pick me up," Sokka bent low so she could swing her arms around his neck and wrap her legs around his waist. He straightened up, groaning under the weight. "Alright, Snoozles," She said, "bend your knees like I told you and _don't move_."

All of a sudden the ground began to vibrate and before he knew it the two of them were flying on a block of earth across the prairie. Sokka closed his eyes and held onto Toph's little legs for dear life; scared that they'd trip and eat dirt... literally.

* * *

In less than an hour the colossal walls of the great city came into view; swallowing the horizon as the two teens drew nearer. Toph slowed a few yards from one of the gates and, reluctantly, slid off Sokka's back.

The earthbender sunk her feet into the ground so she wouldn't topple under the weight of their baggage. Sokka unfastened the sleeping roles, his sword, and his bag, and swung them onto his shoulder. As they walked to the entrance he grabbed Toph's hand.

"Hey! I don't need your help!" She said, instinctively sliding her tiny hand out of his large one. "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I don't know how to find my way arou-"

"Don't get so defensive, I just like holding your hand, is all." He said, pouting. Before he could start another sentence her hand shot back into his.

"I guess that's okay, then," She said with a harrumph, sticking out her lower lip. "But don't start thinking you can carry my bags or cut my food into bite-size pieces."

"I won't, I won't," He was smiling now. This was the Toph he knew. He threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a one-handed hug as they walked. Toph hid her face against his stomach so he wouldn't see the deep blush that had settled onto her cheeks.

"Passports!" Barked a lower ranking guard stationed at the entrance. Sokka turned Toph around and shuffled through her bag, finding her papers. They hadn't gotten around to getting official ones for the whole Gaang yet.

"This is Miss Bei Fong and I'm her escort." He handed him the shiny emerald slip. The guard only had to look at the embossed gold inscription for a moment before he was pulling the door open. _A non-bender apparently_, Toph thought, smirking. In the past few months, however, she had grown to see their usefulness. She grabbed onto Sokka's arm as they walked through the gate. _My escort..._ Toph really liked the sound of that.

As he and Toph sauntered through the artesian district looking for the bar they were supposed to meet at, Sokka smiled. He had always wanted to hold her hand.

**

* * *

Author's Note: I was planning on making this chapter and the next connect, but they were too long. So y'all get another chapter ASAP! And by "ASAP" I mean "Christ, can't you people wait two days for me to finish editing? Jeez." Lol, but seriously. This whole college thing is eating up all my time. **

**In other news my friend wrote me a story! Here it is!**

* * *

NOTE: _I DIDN'T WRITE THIS._

It was only three weeks past where we last left our heroes, namely Katara and Aang making-out in front of the sunset. Yes it started off like any other day, except this was to be a fabulous, glorious day! It was Christmas. Aang was to celebrate the birth of our Lord and savior and wanted to do something special, so he kneeled down and prayed and asked Jesus for what would please him. He prayed and he prayed, and eventually the little forest critters came and prayed with Aang too! It was quite a sight to behold. After three days of praying Jesus finally came and answered him. As soon as the mighty word of our savior was uttered Aang exclaimed, "Avatar powers, yip yip!" He flew away and was quick to carry out the Lord's command. Within minutes Aang meet up with Katara and told her that he was on a mission from God. Now Aang was no Blues Brother, but he had what it took to get the job done. Ah, but we're getting distracted. Anyway, so Aang and Katara meet up at the sea's edge on a high cliff. It was not long before Aang got down to business.

"Katara, I know we have been together for a long time by fifth grade standards, but I have something very important I need to tell you," said Aang. "I am going to die."

Katara shouted, "What?"

Aang replied with a hearty chuckle and muttered, "I couldn't resist. No I am just kidding." Then he shot her in the ovaries and she plummeted to her death. Jesus came out from behind a rock and high-fived Aang.

"Aang, this is the best birthday ever! Thanks buddy," Jesus belted with a childish glint in his eyes.

And so Christmas was saved, and it was the best Christmas ever...

The End


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I am having such a huge fucking issue with the page breaks. Chapters Two & Three are missing them, and I feel their absence ruins the clarity. If anyone knows how to fix this problem it would be much appreciated.**

**Also; I get emails saying y'all have added my story to your alert list, but nobody comments! Please gimme some loooove.**

Finding Appa was the easy part. Although the mountainous beast hardly fit inside the Rock Street public stable, it was the noise that attracted their attention. The other animals - mostly ostrich-horses - had been crowded into the corner and were making an awful ruckus. A gangly man was making a poor effort to calm them down. "Shhhh," he said, "This mammoth will be gone soon, just lie down." He held out a carrot but yelped when it bit his hand instead.

"Hello?" Sokka called out.

"Can't you see, there's no more room in this stable. Take your business to Boulder Aven-"

"Firstly," cut in Toph, "who came up with the street names for this part of town?" The man started to open his mouth in response, but was interrupted again. "That was rhetorical. Secondly- these beasts are cramping my bison's style. I think it's about time you took care of it." She produced a change purse from within her belt and dropped a few heavy coins into the man's hand. His eyebrows raised and without hesitating led the ostrich-horses out a back door and handed the reins to a young boy who stood outside.

"I never get tired of watching you bribe people," said Sokka. They set their sleeping rolls in the saddle, which was leaning against the wall. Hawky had already made a nest from Appa's fur and was hooting pleasantly. Turning to leave, Sokka took hold of Toph's hand again. As they passed, two huge shirtless men entered the stable, bumping Sokka in the shoulder. One had bulging, defined arms and shoulders; the other was stocky and built like a bear.

"Hey! Where'd our ostrich-horses go?" They heard the stocky one shout from inside.

"We had to move them, there wasn't enough room." This was the sniveley voice of the tall stable owner.

"Wasn't enough room? Because of this... this stupid bison thing?"

"It wasn't my fault, it was those two kids who just left. This is their bison."

Toph squeezed Sokka's hand and turned around just as the men emerged from the doorway. "Looks like we've got trouble."

"Uh oh," Sokka reached for his boomerang, only to realize he left it with their stuff in the saddle. "We'd better get out of here, these guys are pretty-"

"I know how big they are. What I'm dying to know is how tough they are."

"You! Kids!" This came from the guy who had been yelling inside. His deep voice echoed in the nearly deserted street.

"Look guys, we didn't mean to, uh... inconvenience you," Sokka uttered. He was cut off by a glare from the second man; whose upper body was so built that he hunched over as he walked.

"Well, I'm sure you and your cute little girlfriend didn't mean to," scowled the man. "But the fact is that you did. My friend and I are going to need to walk all the way over to Stone Bouleva-"

"Boulder Avenue, actually," remarked the arm-muscles guy.

"Over to Boulder Avenue to get our ostrich-horses. So I think you owe me an apology." The words were hardly out of his mouth before Sokka was loudly and energetically apologizing while backing up slowly, Toph in tow.

"Hey, what about his little girlfriend?" Asked Arm-Muscles.

"Yeah, what about your little girlfriend?"

"Please... _don't start anything_..." Sokka tensely whispered.

Toph glared daggers at them before, very quietly, saying, "Sorry."

The burly man stepped forward, "Nah, I want something else. How about a kiss on the cheek, cutie?"

Without missing a beat, Toph spat on his shoe. Sokka uttered a profanity just as Arm-Muscles lunged forward; his huge fuckin' arms only inches from snatching Toph up. Sokka seized her by the shoulders and spun her around. The two teens sprinted through the narrow street and around a corner; knocking over a vending cart.

"My cabbages!" A man in Earth Kingdom garb flew out the door of a bar, fell to his knees, and started to scoop up his prized vegetables. The two men charged around the bend and - without enough time to stop - toppled over the cabbage salesman and his cart. "You vandals!" wailed the merchant, "You'll pay for this! Do you have any idea how much it costs to replace damaged cabbages?"

An older man stepped out through the door, glaring at the two men who were getting to their feet. Sokka pulled Toph behind his back, effectively hiding her from view. As the man from the tavern began to berate the lowlifes she became lost in thought. Although the situation was less than fantastic, this was the first time guys fought over her. She blushed and a smile slowly crept onto her face. Noticing this, she quickly rearranged her expression back into a pout. _Jeez, what's gotten into me?_ Sokka leaned back a little, his shirt lightly brushing her cheek and his elbow grazing her chest. She was immediately and overwhelmingly engulfed in shivers. Toph clenched her hands a few times to calm herself. _I've become such a ninny_, she silently lamented.

"I don't want any unpleasantness here," the old man finished, "so if you two blockheads don't vacate the premises I will have to call the Dai Li..." he paused, thinking that over, "or maybe just the normal police!" The men quickly turned to go, not wanting to incite another reprimand. Before they reached the intersection of Boulder Avenue the sturdier of the two men turned around, sending them all the evil eye.

"And as for you two," the man said, "I believe someone is waiting for you inside."

"What?" interrupted the cabbage dealer, "You're not even going to yell at them?" But by the time he had scrambled to his feet the three had already entered the bar.

"Sokka! Toph!" Aang sprung off his barstool, sprinting through the crowded bar.

"It took you guys long enough," said Katara.

"It's nice to see you too, sis," Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'm getting a drink." He walked up to the bar, surprised to find the old man pouring drinks. "I thought you owned the place." He said, sliding onto a stool.

"I do- but liquor-bending is one of my many talents," he stopped to chuckle at his own joke before continuing. "What'll it be?"

Sokka laughed, "My three friends and I have had a pretty rough day-"

"Four Ba Sing Se Bulldogs: comin' right up!"

**Author's Note: So basically I wrote this chapter at the end of the summer but for some reason forgot to post it. I had written some more thinking it'd be longer, but I've decided to put that in the next chapter. My friends are participating in NaNoWriMo, where they write a novel in November. I'm not doing it, but hopefully it'll inspire me to write more of this lemon! **


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